Chelsea failed to bring two players at the Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window due to the uncertainty around Antonio Conte’s job.
The Premier League Champions had a busy summer transfer window as they bought a number of players at the Stamford Bridge. But Chelsea also failed to sign few other targets due to rumours about Conte’s position.
The Blues signed Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid to replace Diego Costa. Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater were added to the squad to strengthen the midfield. Antonio Rudiger and Davide Zappacosta were the defensive reinforcements as Chelsea prepared to make an impact on their return to the European competition.
Alvaro Morata has been Chelsea’s best signing this season.
But the Evening Standard has reported that Chelsea was close to signing two more players. The reports claimed that two unnamed players turned down the offers due to the concerns about Conte’s managerial position.
Chelsea’s Horrible Transfer Window:
Despite bringing 5 new players at the club, the Chelsea board was criticized for their business in the summer. A number of Chelsea linked players preferred other destinations over Chelsea as Conte did not get everything he asked for. The board was also blamed for selling Nemanja Matić to the EPL rivals Manchester United.
Everton’s Ross Barkley was expected to swap the clubs in England but the midfielder decided to stay at Goodison Park at the very last moment. (Apparently, he changed his mind during the medical!) Another English midfielder, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also rejected Chelsea for Liverpool.
Ditched the Blues at the last moment?
The Blues also had to work hard for Diego Costa’s replacement as they failed to bring back Romelu Lukaku before signing Morata. Conte also had Fernando Llorente on his wishlist as the backup striker, but rivals Spurs swooped in on the deadline day to sign the Spaniard.
The Italian tactician turned around Chelsea’s fortunes after a horrid 2015-16 season as the Blues were crowned as the English Champions for the 2nd time in just 3 years. But the rumours about Conte’s intentions to return to his homeland never vanished. The manager has been linked with AC Milan and the Italian National side despite winning the league.
The new signings have not really helped Chelsea to step-up their game. The holders are 3rd in the table, 14 points behind Manchester City. But the ex-Madrid striker Morata has shown his class and worth with 9 goals in the league.
Author’s Take:
It is unfortunate to see Chelsea missing out on the players due to rumours around Conte. But the board should have done a better job of bringing the players wanted by the manager. Batshuayi has not been impressive as the backup striker and Bakayoko has failed to impress in the midfield as well. Maybe the story of the EPL table could have been different if Conte had the exact team he wanted.
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